Tips for Making Your Own Healthy Foods Easily

Recipes for Homemade Dry Mixes and Salad Dressings

Feb 2, 2009
Peggy Williams

Ready-made products contain chemicals plus excess fat and salt. Some of these are easy to prepare at home plus they will be healthier and cheaper.

The nation’s health is so jeopardized today that diseases normally seen in adults are appearing in children, i.e. asthma. Could part of the problem be our way of eating? In this day of instant meals, many foods have little or no nutrition left in them with additives for taste and maintaining a long shelf-life.

Here are easy recipes for items that can be easily made at home which leaves you in control of the fat, salt and additives.

Mixes

Cornbread

Dry Ingredients:

1 c flour
1 ½ c yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

2 c buttermilk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large egg whites

Directions:

Measure first 6 dry ingredients, making 3-4 blends in zip-lock bags. When ready to cook, empty one bag into bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix lightly. Pour into greased round pan or square pan 8 x 8 x 2. Bake at 450 deg. 20-25 minutes.

8 servings, 260 cal, 6 g fat 306 mg sodium

Experiment with this recipe using half whole-wheat flour or adding ground flaxseed. One or two large eggs can also be used to replace egg whites, but would increase fat content.

This method can be used with any bread or cake recipe to make your own dry mix. On each package, reference the recipe name and location or include the actual directions.

Homemade Salad Dressings

Italian Vinaigrette

4 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 tbsp Cider Vinegar
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Basil

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix well.

6 svgs, each 85 cal, 9 gm fat, 60 mg sodium

This may be too tart for some and 1 tsp of sugar would only add about 4 cal per svg or use a little honey. There is any number of vinaigrette recipes with different seasonings. Experiment to find one your family likes.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

½ c buttermilk
½ c light mayonnaise
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed fine
¼ tsp each salt and pepper

Combine ingredients and mix or whisk.

Per 2 tbsp svg: 30 cal, 2 g fat, 150 mg sodium

For comparison, two tbsp Grocer’s Garden Ranch Dressing has 100 c, 10 g fat and 230 mg sodium. Two tbsp. Wish-Bone Deluxe French Salad Dressing has 120 cal, 11 g fat, and 170 mg sodium. Most prepared dressings have high sodium contents. Take time to read labels when purchasing ready-made items so you can pick the lesser of the evils.

Cook for Health and Good Taste

Using basic recipes and adding your own seasonings or cutting down on fat and salt can result in better-tasting food and a healthier body. For other quick-cooking tips, see Healthy Cooking Shortcuts.

From 20,000 Quips & Quotes, remember, “One half of what we eat enables us to live; the other half enables the doctor to live”.